Driving mechanism for printing-presses.



R. MIEHLE.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-1. 1911.

1,157,8& Patented 001:. 26, 1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

WITNESSES: llVl/E/V TOR WZMJA.

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R. MIEHLE.

DRIVI NG MECHANISM FOR PRINTING PRESSES.

' APPLICATION FI'LED DEC. 1/191.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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R MIEHLE, .DRIVING MECHANISM FORPRINTING PRES SES.

APPLICATION FI LED DEC 1, I911.

Patented 001;. 26, 1915.

.3 SHEETS-SHEET 3- W/ TNESSES:

(All/ENTOR W %TATE PATENT FFIH ROBERT MIEI-ILE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR T0 CONTINENTAL 8cCO1VIMERCIAL TRUST & SAVINGS BANK, TRUSTEE, OFCHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

Application filed December 1, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT MIEHLE, a citizen of the United States, and aresldent of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism forPrinting-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to that class of printing presses in which animpression cylinder is employed to take the impression from the printingform, which in some cases is clamped on a form cylinder as in rotarypresses, or the form is secured to a press bed as in flat bed cylinderprinting presses, in all of which the printing cylinder makes one ormore revolutions to one impression on the form. In this class ofprinting presses it is desirable to have the driving gears run smoothlyand noiselessly, and it is therefore necessary to keep the gears setclosely to their driving pitch lines, and at the samev time transmituniform motion to the cylinder so that the periphery of the same willtravel in'unison with the form.

In practice it has been found that it is almost impossible to hold theaxis of the impression cylinder in a fixed position relative to theform, when a heavy impression is required. This may be due tothespringing or stretching of the parts which hold the cylinder againstthe form, or the cylinder shaft itself may spring or bend under theheavy pressure required to make the printing impression on the form.This springing of the cylinder shaft is more apt to occur when smallcylinders are used, for the reason that a small shaft is usuallyemployed for the purpose of reducing the friction. It will be readilyunderstood that whatever will cause the cylinder to lift away from theform will at the same time change the mesh of the driving gears, and asthe gear teeth are somewhat tapered the relative driving action ischanged, which reacts on the form surface either as the cylinder engagesand rides up on the leading edge of the form, or when. the cylinder isleaving the end of the form. This reaction results in wearing the edgesof the form and in damaging it, consequently poor printing results.

The invention has for its objects to pro Specification of "LettersPatent.

Patented Get. 26, 1915.

Serial No. 868,363.

ing press in elevation, showing the media-- nism at the center of theprinting stroke. Flg. II IS the same view in elevation, showing themechanism at the center of the nonprinting stroke. Fig. III is a rearend view in elevation of the printing press shown in Figs. I'and IIpartly in section. Fig. IV is a side View in elevation of the cylindergear supporting frame hereinafter referred to. Fig. V is an end view inelevation of the cylinder gear supporting frame with the unison drivingring separated from the cylinder gear. Fig. VI is a partial side view inelevation of the press, showing the cylinder raising and loweringmechanism.

Referring to the drawings for a detailed description of theconstruction, 13 represents the impression cylinder in connection with atwo revolution cylinder flatbed printing press, in which the impressioncylinder is moved bodily away from the form to clear it on thenon-printing or return stroke of the press bed 2.

13 is the printing form secured to the press bed Q.

Mounted fixedly on the cylinder shaft 25 is a member 25 engaging withthe unison member 14E, which in turn engages with the impressioncylinder driving gear 12. The unison member loosely embraces thecylinder gear shaft 25 so as to be capable of movement transversely ofsaid shaft in any direction. The cylinder driving gear 12 meshes withand is driven by the bed mo-- tion driving gear 10 fixed on the reducedend 9 of the shaft 9. The distance between the centers of gears 12 and10 is maintained constant by means of the gear supporting frame 24,having a hearing at its upper end to receive the shaft 25 and a bearingat its lower end to receive the shaft9. The frame clamp the same by theshoulders it on the rods 9 and the nuts 72/ The rods 9 pass through thecross bar impression blocks 2' at their lower ends, the nuts j above andbelow .the cross bar block 1; being for the purpose of adjusting theimpression cylinder I and holding it in position. This cross bar i canbe either a part of the press frame or it may be a separate part used inconnection with the usual mechanism, which is either an eccentric or atoggle mechanism, for raising and lowering the cylinder. However themechanism herein shown for raising and lowering the cylinder is a togglemechanism. Interposed between the cross bar impression blocks-i and anabutment 7c of the main frame 1 are the toggle members 30, the

lower member being provided with a lever extension 31. The outer end oflever 31 is pivotally connected to the connecting bar 32, whose lowerend is in turn pivotally coni nected to the lever 33, mounted on therock shaft 3 1. It will be understood that this rock shaft passesthrough to the other side of'the press where it operates a duplicatetoggle mechanism, which acts on the other bearing box of the cylinder13. The rock shaft 34' is oscillated by the lever 35, which is fixedlymounted on the rock shaft and has a stud and roller36, mounted at itsouter end, working in the cam groove 37 of the cam 38, which is mountedon the cam shaft 21 and receives one revolution to each complete to andfro motion of the type bed. In order to raise the cylindercounterbalance springs 39 are provided, which are located n the springchambers 40. In some printing presses no raising or lowering mechanismis necessary, and only the adjusting means is provided. In printingpresses of this character there is no necessity for raising or loweringthe cylinder gear and its driver, the cylinder gear shaft beingjournaled in the stationary frame 27, which is bolted to the main pressframe. The function that the unison member performs, however, is thesame in all cases of printing presses above mentioned, namely: totransmit uniform motion to the cylinder regardless of whether thecylinder axis and the axis of the cylinder gear are in alinement or not.This universal driving action is brought about by the flexibility of theunison member (which is held in place by its lugs 12 12 and 14 14:,which are confined in the guide slots 12, 12,

and 143, 14 through the sliding of the guide lugs 12 in the guide slots12 and the guide lugs 14 in the guide slots 11 As the unison member 1 1revolves it slides back and forth a limited distance on the shaft 25 inthe above mentioned guide slots, thus compensating for the difference ofpositions of the axes of the cylinder and the cylinder gear, therebykeeping the cylinder and form from changing their register or relativepositions at the point of contact.

It will be seen that when it is necessary to adjust the cylinder to oraway from the form, which happens frequentl the action of the unisonmember is of great advantage, because the register of the with the formis not changed as it is when the cylinder gear is mounted on thecylinder shaft and is moved with it into or out of perfect mesh with itsdriving gear when the cylinder gear is adjusted, an unnatural mesh ofthe gears, which changes the register or relative position of the formwith the cylinder. By keeping the cylinder gear and its driver at alltimes in a position to insure a proper mesh when the cylinder isadjusted or shifted bodily away from the form, as in multi-revolutioncylinder presses, to clear the form, (the range of this shiftingmovement being nearly one half of the pitch depth of the teeth), allbacklash of the teeth and consequent noise and unnatural wear of theteeth is thus avoided. Because of the gears having a fixed and perfect-mesh a smaller pitched tooth can be used in the gears, thus insuringsmoother running.

Secured to the under side of the press bed 2 is a rack frame 1, which isprovided with an upper and lower rack 3 and 4-, with which the beddriving gear 5, attached to the inner end of shaft 9, alternatelyengages. The bed motion frame 15, in which the shaft 9 is journaled, isfulcrumed at 22 and 23 in the press frame 1. Frame 15 is provided withan arm 17, which has a stud 18 operating in the groove 19 on the camshaft 21.

The rack frame 1 is provided at either end with straight shoulders 6 injuxtaposition to inner shoulders or gates 7 pivoted in the rack frame 1and are provided with studs or rollers S and 8", which engage with thegrooves of cams S and 8 respectively. These cams swing the gates 7 ofcam 20, mounted and 7 into and out of the path of the roller or crankstud 8 at the proper times to allow the crank stud 8 to gradually stopthe press bed and start it back again on its return stroke, while thebed motion gear 5 is being shifted from one of the racks 3 the other ina well known manner by the cam 20. This cam receives one revolutionwhile the gear 5 receives three revolutions for one to and fro motion ofthe press bed, and may be driven in any approved manner.

point of contact thereby causing 1 e or 1 into and 7, which are l Thecounter-balance spring 29 keeps the weight of the frame 2 1 and thecylinder gear 12 and the unison member 1% from bearing down on the shaft9.

In Fig. III is shown in dotted lines an eX- tension arm 15, whichcan becast with or bolted to the frame 15 for the purpose of supporting theframe With this arrangement the extension 9 is secured to the arm 15.

In Figs. I and III it will. be noticed that the impression cylinder isdown to engage with the form, the bed motion frame being lifted so thatthe gear 5 is in engagement with the rack 3 on the press bed, and thecylinder gear centerv is about in alinement with the center of theimpression cylinder gear. In Fig II the impression cylinder is in itsupper position to clear the form on the nonprinting stroke, while thebed motion frame is in a lowered position with the gear 5 engaging withthe lower rack 4. In both positions, shown in Figs. I and II, thecylinder gear teeth are in full mesh with the gear teeth of driving gear10. In both these positions the unison member will impart a uniformmotion to the cylinder from the cylinder gear without the necessity ofthe axial center of the impression cylinder being in line with the axialcenter of the cylinder gear.

In practice in the class of a two revolution flat bed printing press asshown in the draw-- ings the raising and lowering of the cylinder doesnot occur at the time when the bed motion cam action takes place,therefore in practice a separate cam is provided for raising andlowering the cylinder, which is made to suit the timing of the cylinderwith the form. Then again in the drawings the bed motion shaft is liftedat the time when the cylinder is being lowered and vice versa.

I do not wish to limit myself to the specific construction herein shownand described for imparting the to and fro motion to the press bed, andthe means for keeping the cylinder gear in mesh with the driving gear,which moves with the cylinder gear. Nor do I wish to limit myself to thespecific construction, herein shown and described, of the unison drivingmechanism, for it may be used in its various forms, and any universaljoint, which will transmit a uniform motion to the cylinder when itsaxis is out of line with the axis of the cylinder gear will beunderstood to come within the spirit of the invention herein claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention what I desire to claim byLetters Patent 1. In a printing-press, the combination of aform-supporting member, means to actuate said member at a substantiallyuniform speed during the printing operation, a revolubleimpression-cylinder, a cylinder-gear mounted at an end of said cylinder,a driving-gear meshing with said cylinder-gear, the distance betweensaid gear axes being fixed, means for adjusting the impression positionof said cylinder transversely to the axis of the cylinder-gear, andmeans connecting said cylinder-gear to said cylinder, including a membershiftable with respect to both said cylinder and said cylinder-gear, theperipheral speed of said cylinder being thesame as the speed of saidform-supporting member. during the printing operation and remainingsubstantially unchanged with respect to that of the cylinder-gear eventhough the cylinder and gear are laterally shifted relatively to oneanother causing relative displacement of their axes, substantially asdescribed.

2. In a printing-press, the combination of a form-supporting member,means to actuate said member at a substantially uniform speed during theprinting operation, a revoluble impression-cylinder, a cylinder-gearmounted at an end of said cylinder, a driving-gear meshing with saidcylinder-gear, the distance between said gear axes being fixed, meansfor adjusting the impression positionof said cylinder transversely tothe axis of the cylinder-gear, and means connecting said cylindergear tosaid cylinder, including a member slidably connected to thecylinder-gear and to the cylinder so as to be capable of radial movementwith respect to said cylinder and gear, the peripheral speed of saidcylinder being the same as the speed of said form-supporting memberduring the printing operation and remaining substantially unchanged withrespect to that of the cylinder-gear even though the cylinder and gearare shifted relatively to one another causing a relative displacement oftheir axes, substantially as described.

3. In a printing-press, the combination of a form-supporting member,means to actuate said member at a substantially uniform speed during theprinting operation, a revoluble impression-cylinder, a cylinder-gearmounted at an end of said cylinder, a driving-gear meshing with saidcylinder-gear, the distance between said gear axes being fixed, meansfor adjusting the impression.

position of said cylinder transversely t0 the axis of the cylinder-gear,a driving member rigidly connected to the impression-cylinder, and meansconnecting said driving-member to said cylinder-gear including a memberslidably engaged with both the drivingmember and the cylinder-gear so asto be capable of radial movement with respect to the cylinder-gear andthe driving-member whereby motion is transmitted from the cylinder-geartothe cylinder irrespective of the relative axial positions of the gearand cylinder, the peripheral speed of said cylinder being the same asthe speed of said formsupporting member during the printing operationand remaining substantially un changed with respect to that of thecylindergear even though the cylinder and gear are shifted relatively toone another, causing relative displacement of their axes, substantiallyas described.

4'. In a printing press, the combination of a bed, an impressioncylinder, a shifting bed motion driving gear, a cylinder gear meshingwith said driving gear, means for maintaining a predetermined distancebetween the'centers of said gears irrespective of the shifting positionof said-driving gear, and a flexible connection between said cylindergear and said impression cylinder for operating saidcylinderirrespective of the position of said cylinder gear. y

5. In a printing press, the combination of an impression cylinder, a bedmotion mechanisn including a shifting bed driving gear, means forshifting said gear, a cylinder gear meshing with said driving gear,means for maintaining a predetermined distance between the centers ofsaid driving gear and said cylinder gear, and means including a memberslidable radially with respect to said cvlinder gear and said cylinderfor transmitting motion from said cylinder gear to said cylinder. g

6. In a printing press, the combination of a press bed, an impressioncylinder, a cylinder gear, a driving gear, means for main- .taining apredetermined distance between the centers of said gears, means forshifting saidgears bodily with respect to the cylinder, meansfor'raising and loweringsaid cylinder with respect to the bed, andflexible driving connections between said cylinder gear and saidcylinder.

'7. In a printing press, thecombination of a bed, an impressioncylinder, a bed gear and a driving gear co-axially mounted,

means for shifting said gears with respect to the bed, a cylinder gearmeshing with said driving gear, means for shifting said cylinder gearwith the dr1v1ng gear, and

, flexible driving connections between said cylinder gear and saidcylinder.

8. In a printing press, the combination of a bed, a bed motion drivinggear, a cylinder gear in mesh with said drivinggear, a frame formaintaining a predetermined distancebetween the axes of said driving andcylinder gears, means for shifting said driving and cylinder gears withrespect to the bed without disturbing the relative position of theiraxes, a driving member connected to the cylinder, and a unison memberhaving a sliding connection with said driving member and with saidcylinder gear whereby motion is transmitted from said cylinder gear tosaid cylinder irrespectiveof the axial alinement of said cylinder gearand cylinder."

9. In a printing press, the combination of a bed, an impressioncylinder, a shifting bed motion driving gear, a cylinder gear in meshwith said driving-gear, a frame for maintaining said cylinder gear anddriving gear in predetermined relation with respect to each other, meansfor raising and lower ing said frame, and means including a unisonmember movable radially with respect to said cylinder transmittingmotion from said cylinder gear to said cylinder.

10. In a printing press, the combination of a bed, an impressioncylinder, a cylinder driving gear, means for raising and lowering saidcylinder, a shifting bed motion frame, a bed motion shaft supported insaid frame, a driving gear on said shaft meshing with said cylinderdriving gear, means for shifting said bed motion frame, a f *ame formaintaining a predetermined distance between the axes of said drivinggear and said cylinder driving gear, and driving connections betweensaid cylinder gear and said cylinder.

11. In a printing press, the combination of a bed, an impressioncylinder, a cylinder gear, flexible driving connections between saidgear and said cylinder, a shiftablc bed motion frame, means for shiftingsaid frame, a shaft supported in the frame, .1 driving gear on saidshaft meshing with said cylinder gear, and means whereby the shiftingmovement of saiddriving gear is transmitted to the cylinder gear so thatboth said gears are shifted an equal amount.

12. In a printing press, the combination of a bed, a shiftablc bedmotion driving gear, a shiftable cylinder gear, means for shifting saidgears simultaneously and equally, an impression cylinder, means forraising and lowering said cylinder and driving connections between saidcylinder gear and said cylinder.

13. In a printing press, the combination of a bed, an impressioncylinder, a bed mo tion driving gear, a cylinder gear, means forshifting the axes of said gears without disturbing the relativepositions of said axes, means for shifting said cylinder and drivingconnections between said cylinder and said cylinder gear.

14. In a. printing-press, the combination of a revolubleimpression-cy]inder, a cylinder-gear mounted at an end of the cylinder,a driving-gear in mesh with the cylinder gear, the distance between saidgear axes being fixed, means to simultaneously raise and lower saiddriving and cylinder gears, and

a driving connection between said cylindergear and cylinder including amember shiftable with respect to both said cylinder and gear, theperipheral speed of the cylinder: remaining substantially unchanged withrespect to that of the cylinder-gear even and said cylinder gear for llj though the relative shifting of the cylinder and gear causes relativedisplacement of their axes, substantially as described.

15. In a printing-press, the combination of a revolubleimpression-cylinder, a cylinder-gear mounted at an end of the cylinder,a driving-gear meshing with said cylindergear, the distance between saidgear axes remaining fixed, means for shifting said cylinder, means forsimultaneously shifting said cylinder-gear and driving-gear in adirection opposite to the shifting movement of the cylinder and withoutchanging the distance between said gear axes, and a flexibledriving-connection between said cylinder-gear and cylinder including amember slidable radially with respect to both said cylinder-gear andcylinder, the peripheral speed of the cylinder remaining substantiallyunchanged with respect to that of the cylinder-gear even though saidcylinder and cylinder-gear are shifted relatively to one another,causing a relative displacement of their axes, substantially asdescribed.

16. In a printing-press, the combination Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

of a revoluble impression-cylinder, a cylinder-gear mounted at an end ofsaid cylinder, a driving-gear meshing with the cylinder-gear, means tomaintain the distance between the axes of said gears unchanged, meansfor raising and lowering said cylinder, means for simultaneously raisingand lowering said cylinder driving-gears independently of the shiftingmovement of the cylinder, and means connecting said cylinder-gear tosaid cylinder, including a member slidable radially with respect to bothsaid cylinder and said cylindengear, the peripheral speed of saidcylinder remaining substantially unchanged with respect to that of thecylinder-gear even though the cylinder and the cylinder-gear are shiftedrela tively to one another, causing a relative displacement of theiraxes, substantially as described.

ROBERT MIEHLE.

Witnesses:

PAUL E. HARTUNG, ROBERT F. MIEI-ILE, J r.

Washington, D. G. l

